Method of preparing vamps for shoes of the california or force-lasted type



METHOD OF PREI ARING VAMPS FOR SHOES OF THE CALIFORNIA 0R FORCE-LASTED TYPE Filed April 8, 1950 July 28, 1953 w F. HERLIHY 2,646,534

Ira vermfar William? Her/W 5y a--- 2 Patented July as, i953 METHOD OF PREPARING VAMPS FOR SHOES OF THE CALIFORNIA OR FORCE-LASTED TYPE William F. Herlihy, Haverhill, Mass., assignor to Lowell Counter Company, Lowell, Mass., a copartnership Application April 8, 1950, Serial No. 154,776

This invention pertains to the manufacture of footwear of the so-called California or forcelasted type and relates to a novel method of making such shoes and to a novel stage product resultant from the practice of said product, the present invention constituting an improvement upon that disclosed in the copending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 109,365, filed August 9, 1949, by William F. Herlihy, since issued as Patent No. 2,514,057, dated July 4, 1950.

The method disclosed in the aforesaid copending application comprises assembling a moldable stiffener blank with an end portion of the shoe upper, adhesively bonding the toe-box blank and upper material while molding said end portion of the upper, including the stiiiener blank, substantially to the shape of .said end portion of the-shoe to be made, and after molding, uniting a wrapper strip to the lower margin ofthe upper by stitches which pass through thewrapper strip, upper and stiffener material. While the above method is highly desirable and is in daily use in the manufacture of shoes, it is most successful when the upper stock is thin and readily amenable to molding by direct pressure between dies. However, particularly when the upper stock is thick or. stiff, the usual molding operation may tend to produce permanent pleats or gathers particularly at the upper material around the margin of the toe, these pleats or gathers extending up far enough to be visible in the completed shoe just above the wrapper; thus detracting from the appearance of the shoe and distinguishing it from shoes made by the conventional pulling over and lasting machinery.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a novel method whereby the disadvantages of the prior method, when applied to heavy or stiff upper material, are avoided and to the provision of an upper ready for attachment to the wrapper, having an included molded toe-box but which is devoid of pleats or wrinkles at the toe tip. A further object is to provide a California type shoe having a still toe-box and having the tip portion of the upper smooth and devoid of wrinkles or gathers adjacent to the wrapper. A further object is to provide a method; of making a California or force lasted shoe whose toe end may have the stiffness and shape-retaining characteristics found in shoes of other types,

but which is as smooth and devoid of wrinkles invention will be pointed out in the following,. i

3 Claims. (01. 12-142) 2 more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe upper prepared in accordance with the present invention and ready for the attachment of the wrapper;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the quarter portion of the shoe of Fig. 1 before the assembly of other parts, viewed from the rear or outside;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the inside of the quarter with a portion of the counter lining broken away;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the vamp of the shoe as it appears prior to the practice of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the vamp withthe inner surface of thevamp uppermost, showing the edge of thetoe portion of the blank as having been shrunken to decrease its length{ Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical section on the line 6-45 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a-diagrammatic front view illustrating the step of molding the toe portion of the upper;

Fig. 8 is a vertical, central section substantially on the line 88 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 6, but showing the toe end of the upper, including the toe IbOX, as it appears at the completion of the molding operation;

Fig. 10 is a 1 fragmentary, vertical section through the toe end of the molded upper, illustrating the step of attaching the wrapper strip;

Fig. 11 is a similar view illustrating the'step of. attaching the sock lining; and

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the completed shoe.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 deSignates a shoe upper which may be of any desired material and pattern or style, and which, except as hereinafter specifically pointed out, may be of conventional construction. As illustrated, it comprisesthe quarter portion 2 and the vamp por-' tion 3, these parts being united by seams S. The vamp 3 (Fig. 4) may be unlined or, if desired, provided with a liner (not shown). If a liner is used itwould usually be united to the outer ply of the vamp by a seam extending over the arch of the toe tip, the liner being otherwise free. If a liner is used, the toe box blank hereinafter referred to will be inserted between the vamp and the toe liner. If no liner is used, the toe box will be exposed at the inside of the shoe.

The. quarter 2 (Figs. 2 and 3) comprises a blank including an outer ply which may be of leather, cloth or the like, the outer ply being here shown as provided with an external stay piece 8.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the upper edge of the The lower edge of this quarter or counter-lining;

is free from the outer ply, thus providing a pocket for the reception of the stifiener or coui terblank 12 (Fig. 3). This counterblank may be of any suitable material capable of being molded and of permanently retaining the shapeimparted by molding pressure.

In accordance with the present invention, the vamp, which is here shown as unlined and. consisting of a single thickness of material, for example leather, is subjected to an operation whereby its extreme lower edge I4 at the toe portion i3 is shrunken so that said extreme edge becomes less in peripheral length than the adjacent material of the vamp. This shrinking is carried out. in, such a waythat the extreme edge portion. I4 is thickened and becomes more dense. The, result of this operation is to provide a pocket-like cavity [6 (Fig. 6) at the toe end of the vamp, the outer surface I5 of this pocketlike portion being convexand smooth and without visible wrinkles or corrugations. eration of shrinking the margin of the toe end of the vamp maybe performed by the use of a machine such as, for example, shown in the patent to Kamborian 2,378,639 dated June 19', 1945. However, theparticular mode of shrinking this edge is not essential to the invention provided thatthe mode adopted results in. the formation of the pocket-like cavity but without the creation of external pleats, corrugations or wrinkles of such size as to be visibleinthe completed shoe.

Having thus shrunken the edge of the toe portion of the vamp, the vamp has assembled with it a toe-box blank Iiv (Fig. 9). This. toe-box blank may be of any suitable. material such as is employed for this purpose but should be capable of being molded and. of permanently retaining the shape imparted by molding pressure. If initially too still for moulding, this toebox blank may first be rendered sor'tand flabby by appropriate treatment. such, for; example, as

mulling or treatmentwith appropriate solvents or the like, so that it may be fitted withinthe pocket I6 of the vampand; pressed firmly. against the inner surface of the vamp. Unless the. toe stifiener itself is inherently adhesive, adhesive A is introduced between the inner'surface of the vamp and the. toe stiffener as: a preliminary to their assembly.

If desired, although it does not appear necessary except perhaps in extreme cases, the toebox blank I! may be subjected to a, preliminary. or partial shaping operation; for example by,

withinthe pocket IS in thevamp, the toe. portion of, the vamp isnow subjectedto. molding.

This oppressure in a suitable molding machine, for example a machine of the kind commonly used for molding shoe counters. This operation, as employed in molding the toe portion of the vamp, is illustrated by way of example in Figs. 7 and 8. As shown, the. toe. end of...the vamp. withits associated stifiener i! is assembled about the center mold of the molding machine and when so assembled with the center mold it is embraced by the side molds l9 and 26 which are shaped appropriately to impart to the toe portion of the vamp a final curved contour such as it is desired that it have in the completed shoe, it being understood as. above suggested, that the stiffener ele- 1 ment is of a character to retain this molded shape indefinitely. The quarter or counter portion of the shoe may likewise be formed in accordance with the present invention except that the edge shrinking step is unnecessary. Thus, after the stiffener or counter member 12 has been assembled with the quarter, the assembly-will be subjected to amol'ding operation in a molding machine having dies appropriately shaped to impart to the quarter of the shoe its final shape.

While it has been suggested that the vamp andquarter will be united by the seams S prior to the melding of either end of the upper, it is. contemplated that the molding: may take place. prior to the union of the, vamp and quarter. Furthermore, if theshoe is. to be of. the open shank type, the vamp and/or. quarter may: be molded independently as above suggested and will notsubsequently be united; by seams. S or the; equivalent, but will be independently anchored-to;

- the bottom structure of the shoe. It is thus:

contemplated, as Within. thescope orthe presentinvention, to make the vamp and. quarter por tionsv independently in accordance; with the present invention and thatsuchpartsmaybe made. and moldedand, whether or not united, further completed totheextent that they-might:be sold as stage products useful the manufacture. of California type shoes.

Referring more particularly; to the completion. of the toe portion of. theupper-afterithas been given its shaperand: contour by the-edge,shrink.-. ing and, molding operations above describe.d;.a;. wrapper s ric of. pnronriatewidth and mate-- rial. is now.' stitched: to, thelowen marginal pore tion of; themolded vampbits;seamwhosezstitches 22, pass through. all of the constituent plies. of the.

vamp, including-the outer ply, the: tioesbox and, the. lining, if 'thererbe lining-.. This: operation; may be-carr-ied-out .bytheuse -of; any suitable type: of sewing machine. In spite ofthespremol'ding of the end: portion of. the; shoe, a fiat bed: ma-

chine may be; used for the purpose: without. par ticular difiiculty.

If the upper has been; molded at both; endsiand'. if, thequarter and vamp have been united: by the seams S, thenvrapper 2 may extend continuously around the lentire periphery of: theshoeupper, except that usually theends of 'the wrapper-- will be overlapped; at; approximately,- the loca'ation of the,- seam S; at the; inner; side Of:. the shoe; 7 f the qua r v mp are made" as separate.

entities, each will baprovided with. its own ill-- dependentwrapperstripi the-ends-v of each; wraps. perstrip; being located approximately;- at the rear and forward ends-of: theznartsiigandr 2:. respectively;

Having thusv attachedthe wrapper strip or strips; the sock lining 23: (Fig. 11-) is now assembled withithe upper or withone or theotherpart: of the'uppei: as abovedescribed; its marginal portion is turned downwardly; and said marginal portion is united by a seam comprising stitches 24 which pass through all of the constituent plies of the upper, including the stiffener element at its molded end or ends. If the quarter and vamp are made as separate elements and not united by the seams S, then the sock lining forms the only connection between the parts 2 and 3 before the cushion and/or outer sole is applied.

A cushion sole or platform element is now usually secured in customary manner by adhesive or otherwise to the undersurface of th sock lining, and the lower margin of the wrapper strip2l is turned down beneath the platform or cushion and adhesively secured to the latter. If a heel wedge is to be used, such a wedge is nowput in place and adhesively united to the cushion element. The wedge here shown as an edge cover 25 (Fig. 12). In some types of shoes the wrapper strip 2! is not turned in directly below the cushion element but is of such dimensions, at the heel end molded end portion of the shoe by a seam 22 which is above and separated from the seam 24 of the shoe, that it may be turned inbeneath the which unites the sock lining to the upper, it is contemplated that both wrapper and socklining may be united simultaneously to the molded end portion of the shoe by the same seam. It is' further contemplated that the sock lining may be attached to the molded upper prior to the attachment of the wrapper, if for any reason this should be desirable. v

While the toe-box blank will usually be in fiat condition when assembled with the vamp, it may be givena partial preliminary molding before assembly, as above suggested. Moreover, the stiffening element may be assembled with and adhesively united to the vamp while the latter is in fiat condition, and then the assembled parts may be subjected to the shrinking operation so that the edges of both vamp and stifiener will be shrunken concomitantly.

By the above procedure it is possible to provide a California type shoe having a permanently stiif and properly shaped end portion wherein the stifiener element is firmly and securely united to the other parts, the outer surface of the toe being smooth and free from wrinkles or pleats as that of a shoe made by other conventional methods involving a pulling-over operation, the stiffened end portion of the upper being anchored just as firmly in place to the bottom structure as in other.

forms of shoe.

While one desirable procedure has been suggested and illustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications. and varia-,

tions in the several steps and'order of steps within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaimz' I W p 1. A method of preparing Vamps for shoes of the California or force-lasted type which comprises providing a vamp, providing a moldable toe box blank, forming a pocket in the toe portion of the'vamp for the reception of the toe box'blank by shrinking the extreme lower edge of the toe end of the vamp while leavingunshrunken the adjacent marginal material of the toe end of the vamp, placing the toe box blank in said pocket, adhesivelybonding the toe box blankand vamp while concomitantly molding the toe box blank and the toe portion of the vamp by appropriately shaped dies substantially to the shape of the toe portion of the shoe which is to be made, and securinga wrapper strip and a sole element to the vamp after the latter has been molded.

2. In the method of preparing Vamps according to claim 1, the further improvement which comprises the step of attaching the wrapper to the vamp, after the latter has been molded, by a seam whose stitches pass through all of the conforce-lasted type which comprises providing an upper, progressively shrinking the extreme lower edge of the upper at its toe end with resultant increase in density and thickness of the extreme edge while leaving the adjacent marginal ma- 1 terial unshrunken thereby forming an externally smooth, outwardly convex pocket at the toe of the upper, providing a moldable toe box blankof a material which, after molding, will retain its molded shape, inserting the toe box blank within said pocket and with its-lower, edge registering with the lower edge of the pocket, adhesive'ly bonding the toe portion of the upper and the toe box blank while concomitantly molding the assembled upper and blank substantially to the final shape of the toe portion of the shoe to be made, and after molding, uniting a wrapper strip to the lower margin of the upper by stitches which pass through the upper, wrapper and toe box material.

WILLIAM F. HERLIHY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

